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/ First Series of DMA Painting Conservation Projects Now on View in the Dallas Museum of Art Collection Galleries

First Series of DMA Painting Conservation Projects Now on View in the Dallas Museum of Art Collection Galleries

The first four paintings from private collections to undergo conservation treatment in the DMA’s new Paintings Conservation Studio are now on view in the Dallas Museum of Art’s European galleries on Level 2. One of the four, The Blacksmith Cupids by Charles-Antoine Coypel, has subsequently entered the DMA’s permanent collection. The remaining three loans, along with the Coypel, are part of the Museum’s new conservation program to collaborate with private collectors on the study and care of their collections, and then present the works in the DMA galleries for public viewing.

In addition to Charles-Antoine Coypel’s The Blacksmith Cupids, the newly restored loaned works include Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s 18th-century painting Dogs Playing with Birds in a Park; a masterpiece of early Renaissance Netherlandish painting, Saint Ursula Protecting the Eleven Thousand Virgins with Her Cloak; and an Italian 14th-century painted wood panel showing the martyrdom of an early Christian saint.

“Conservation loans are a significant part of our plans to expand the DMA’s in-house conservation program,” said Mark Leonard, chief conservator at the DMA. “In many instances, these types of partnerships result in the opportunity to exhibit the works on public view for a period of time after completion of the conservation treatment, and in the case of the Coypel, add the work to the Museum’s collection. We are extremely grateful and excited by this opportunity.”

Jean-Baptiste Oudry’s Dogs Playing with Birds in a Park, painted in 1754, is now installed next to the Oudry’s Water Spaniel Confronting a Heron in the DMA’s European gallery. The French artist was well known for his “portraits” of animals, particularly the favorite dogs of his aristocratic and royal clients. Saint Ursula Protecting the Eleven Thousand Virgins with Her Cloak is an exquisite example of Renaissance painting from the Netherlands. With this painting, the DMA exhibits for the first time a work by the artist known as The Master of the Legend of St. Barbara, who was active between 1470 and 1500. The oldest of the three loaned works can be dated to as early as 1390. This rare fragment of a predella (a series of scenes commonly found at the base of large Italian Renaissance altarpieces) is by the artist Gregorio de Cecco di Luca of Siena. The superbly painted panel shows a scene of an early Christian saint reverently kneeling in prayer awaiting his death.

Charles-Antoine Coypel’s The Blacksmith Cupids from c. 1715–1720 is a highly finished preparatory sketch for a decoration Coypel made for the space above the fireplace in the bedroom of Louis d'Orléans, duc de Chartres, in his apartments at the Palais-Royal in Paris. This painting is a fascinating rediscovery of a work thought to have been lost since 1752, when it last appeared at the estate sale of the artist’s brother. It is the first work by this artist to enter the DMA’s collection.

Images (left to right): Charles-Antoine Coypel, The Blacksmith Cupids (Les Amours Forgerons), c. 1715-1720, oil on canvas, Dallas Museum of Art, Foundation for the Arts Collection, gift of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Campbell; Gregorio di Cecco di Luca, The Martyrdom of an early Christian Saint, c. 1418-1424, egg tempera on panel, collection of Suzanne Deal Booth and David Booth; Jean–Baptiste Oudry, Dogs playing with birds in a park, 1754, oil on canvas, private collection; The Master of the Legend of Saint Barbara, Saint Ursula Protecting the Eleven Thousand Virgins with her Cloak, c. 1470-1500, oil on panel, collection of Suzanne Deal Booth and David Booth

About the Paintings Conservation StudioThe new Paintings Conservation Studio at the Dallas Museum of Art opened in 2013 as part of the Museum’s initiative to establish a more comprehensive in-house conservation program. The Paintings Conservation Studio features state-of-the-art technology—including a digital X-ray system—and serves as a center for study and treatment of works of art as well as research into cutting-edge conservation methodologies. An adjoining gallery regularly rotates works of art, providing a space for visitors to explore the conservation process in greater detail through visual representations.

About the Dallas Museum of ArtEstablished in 1903, the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) ranks among the leading art institutions in the country and is distinguished by its innovative exhibitions and groundbreaking educational programs. At the heart of the Museum and its programs is its global collection, which encompasses more than 22,000 works and spans 5,000 years of history, representing a full range of world cultures. Located in the vibrant Arts District of downtown Dallas, the Museum welcomes more than half a million visitors annually and acts as a catalyst for community creativity, engaging people of all ages and backgrounds with a diverse spectrum of programming, from exhibitions and lectures to concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. In January 2013, the DMA returned to a free general admission policy and launched DMA Friends, the first free museum membership program in the country, which enrolled 50,000 members in its first year.

The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA Partners and donors, the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.

For more information, please contact:Jill BernsteinDallas Museum of Art214-922-1802JBernstein@DMA.org

The Dallas Museum of Art is supported, in part, by the generosity of DMA Members and donors, the citizens of Dallas through the City of Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs, and the Texas Commission on the Arts.